The Avios loyalty currency used by the airlines of International Airlines Group (British Air, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus) has just added a couple of features that may or may not be the best deal for users.
But the big news is that another airline is joining the party; Qatar, which owns 25% of IAG, is dropping its Qmiles program in favor of Avios. Since the Avios currency can be freely shifted around among the airlines, that means a whole new way to book Qatar flights, or for Qatar loyalists to access many more flight choices.
And, in another change, it will be possible to book Aer Lingus flights on BA's website without transferring Avios first.
But the world of Avios is still pretty Byzantine. Each of the IAG airlines has its own Avios program (BA's Executive Club, Iberia's IberiaPlus, AerLingus's AerClub and the Vueling Club). Through a variety of the company's websites, you can move your Avios from one program to another, but which site you use depends on which transfer you are making.
And, the price you pay, both in Avios and fees, can vary widely depending on which site you are booking through. So far, according to some who have tested it, BA's add-on fees for Aer Lingus flights can be hundreds higher than if booked on Aer Lingus, and there are also disparities for Iberia and Vueling.
Best bet: Look up your flight on all the IAG websites (not all flights will be available on all) and pick the best price. And, if you're looking to add some Avios, Chase is offering U.S. customers credit cards co-branded with BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus, all with sign-up bonuses of 100,000.
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